About the Coalition

ABOUT THE COALITION FOR DEEP SPACE EXPLORATION

The Coalition for Deep Space Exploration is an alliance of space industry businesses and advocacy groups collaborating to reinforce the value and benefits of deep-space exploration with the public and our nation’s leaders. Our goal is to build lasting support for a long-term, sustainable, strategic direction for human space exploration and science, ensuring that the United States remains a leader in space, science and technology.

The Coalition is led by Dr. Mary Lynne Dittmar who serves as President and CEO. A 25-year veteran of the space industry specializing in strategy, public engagement and space policy, Mary Lynne assumed leadership of the Coalition in October of 2015. Under her leadership the Coalition has grown from 5 companies to more than 70 over the past three years and is a recognized source for information, education and outreach in support of NASA’s programs, space commerce, the aerospace industry, and American leadership in space.

Before starting her own consulting firm in 2004, Dr. Dittmar coordinated R&D and later managed Flight Operations for The Boeing Company on the International Space Station Program. Later, she acted as a special advisor to the NASA Astronaut Office before her appointment as Boeing Chief Scientist for Commercial Utilization of the ISS. More recently she was Senior Policy Advisor to the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), which manages the International Space Station National Laboratory. She has also served as a senior advisor to NASA, the DoD, and the FAA.

Mary Lynne is a Fellow of the National Research Society and an Associate Fellow of the American Institute for Astronautics and Aeronautics. From 2012-2014 she served as a member of the National Research Council Committee on Human Spaceflight, and is in her second term as a member of the Executive Committee of the Space Studies Board of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. In June of 2018 she was appointed by the NASA Administrator to the Users’ Advisory Group of the National Space Council, and in October of that year was appointed by the Secretary of the Department of Transportation to the Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee for the FAA. Dr. Dittmar resides in Washington, D.C.

Coalition for Deep Space Exploration Vision of Success

Ensure that the United States continues its commitment to NASA’s programs of record and maintains American leadership in human space exploration, space science, space commerce and technology.

Coalition for Deep Space Exploration Mission Statement

Our mission is to reinforce the value and benefits of deep space human exploration, science and commerce with the public and our nation’s leaders, building lasting support for American leadership in space on a long-term, sustainable basis.